Yahoo Finance These 4 Measures Indicate That Sensata Technologies Holding (NYSE:ST) Is Using Debt Reasonably Well
Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of permanent loss is the risk I worry about... and every practical investor I know worries about. So it might be obvious that you need to consider debt, when you think about how risky any given stock is, because too much debt can sink a company. Importantly, Sensata Technologies Holding plc (NYSE:ST) does carry debt. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?
Why Does Debt Bring Risk?
Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. By replacing dilution, though, debt can be an extremely good tool for businesses that need capital to invest in growth at high rates of return. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.
View our latest analysis for Sensata Technologies Holding
How Much Debt Does Sensata Technologies Holding Carry?
As you can see below, Sensata Technologies Holding had US$3.22b of debt, at September 2019, which is about the same the year before. You can click the chart for greater detail. On the flip side, it has US$721.4m in cash leading to net debt of about US$2.50b.
How Healthy Is Sensata Technologies Holding's Balance Sheet?
Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Sensata Technologies Holding had liabilities of US$620.5m due within 12 months and liabilities of US$3.62b due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had US$721.4m in cash and US$596.8m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities total US$2.92b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.
Sensata Technologies Holding has a market capitalization of US$8.27b, so it could very likely raise cash to ameliorate its balance sheet, if the need arose. But it's clear that we should definitely closely examine whether it can manage its debt without dilution.
We measure a company's debt load relative to its earnings power by looking at its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and by calculating how easily its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) cover its interest expense (interest cover). Thus we consider debt relative to earnings both with and without depreciation and amortization expenses.
Sensata Technologies Holding has a debt to EBITDA ratio of 2.9 and its EBIT covered its interest expense 4.0 times. This suggests that while the debt levels are significant, we'd stop short of calling them problematic. Even more troubling is the fact that Sensata Technologies Holding actually let its EBIT decrease by 4.5% over the last year. If it keeps going like that paying off its debt will be like running on a treadmill -- a lot of effort for not much advancement. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Sensata Technologies Holding can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.
Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. So it's worth checking how much of that EBIT is backed by free cash flow. Over the most recent three years, Sensata Technologies Holding recorded free cash flow worth 69% of its EBIT, which is around normal, given free cash flow excludes interest and tax. This free cash flow puts the company in a good position to pay down debt, when appropriate.
Our View
On our analysis Sensata Technologies Holding's conversion of EBIT to free cash flow should signal that it won't have too much trouble with its debt. But the other factors we noted above weren't so encouraging. For instance it seems like it has to struggle a bit to cover its interest expense with its EBIT. When we consider all the factors mentioned above, we do feel a bit cautious about Sensata Technologies Holding's use of debt. While we appreciate debt can enhance returns on equity, we'd suggest that shareholders keep close watch on its debt levels, lest they increase. Of course, we wouldn't say no to the extra confidence that we'd gain if we knew that Sensata Technologies Holding insiders have been buying shares: if you're on the same wavelength, you can find out if insiders are buying by clicking this link.
At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free.
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If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
